Lawmakers completed final business for the 90th Legislature
late Thursday
night, with the House session stretching until 12:50 a.m. Friday. The new
legislature will convene on January 10 and shift into high gear after Gov.
John Engler’s State of the State Address on January 31.
The House and Senate passed the conference version of two bills
(SB 260 and
SB 261) to require health insurance plans to cover diabetic medications and
supplies. The conference version retained the insurance coverage mandate,
which had been replaced in the House with a tax credit. The bills now go the
governor for signature.
The bills unanimously passed the Senate in March 1999 but were
held up due
to opposition from House members and business and labor groups.
Michigan’s new EPIC prescription drug assistance program
for low-income
seniors is now set to begin October 1, 2001, under another bill (SB 1278)
sent to the governor. The bill will replace the current income tax credit
and emergency pharmaceutical program. The measure also includes a provision
that EPIC will end if the federal government institutes a similar program.
The Senate passed the final bill in a package requiring coverage
for
elective abortions to be an optional rider on employer health insurance
plans. The three-bill package (HB 4828, SB 645 and SB 795) now goes to the
governor.
A measure to ban "living wage" ordinances, which require
wages higher than
the federal minimum wage, died in the House after failing to garner
sufficient votes for passage.
The bill had narrowly passed the House and Senate but was sent
back to the
House because of a provision added by the Senate to allow communities with
current living wage laws to keep those ordinances. Detroit, Warren,
Ypsilanti and Ypsilanti Township have adopted such policies. The House
stripped out the grandfather clause but still was not able to pass the bill..
Gov. Engler signed into law an MRA-supported bill to prevent
the sale of
stolen and outdated goods at flea markets. The measure goes into effect on
February 1, 2001.
The law prohibits the sale at flea markets of food products
labeled for
consumption by a child less than two years of age, non-prescription drugs
that are past their expiration date and medical devices. The bill further
requires that merchants selling unused products must retain a purchase
receipt for those products for a minimum of two years.
Individuals who sell the prohibited products are subject to
a misdemeanor
charge, which carries a maximum penalty of a $1,000 fine and 93 days in
jail.
Gov. Engler appointed Daniel Gustafson to chair the Liquor Control
Commission, effective January 2. He replaces Interim Chair Walter Keck, who
has held the position since the death of Chair Jacqueline Stewart in June.
Gustafson currently is chief of staff for Lieutenant Governor
Dick Posthumus
and a member of the Ingham County Commission. He served as a state
representative from 1993 to 1998.
The Department of Natural Resources’ new e-License website
will allow
hunters and anglers to purchase licenses online.
The website, www.dnr.state.mi.us,
also takes reservations for state park campsites and
provides other information about outdoor recreation.Capitol
Fax will not be published
until the legislature returns for the 2001-2002 session in January.
For back issues of Capitol F@cts on-line visit MRA's web site at http://www.retailers.com/capfax/capfax.html.
Specific comments or questions regarding this bulletin should
be directed to:
Jeanette Towsley, Administrative Assistant to the Governmental
Affairs Department at jtowsley@retailers.com.
Michigan Retailers Association
603 South Washington Avenue
Lansing, MI 48933
Phone: 517.372.5656
Toll Free: 800.366.3699
Fax: 517.372.1303
govt_affairs@retailers.com
http://www.retailers.com
http://www.mallofmichigan.com
Click
here to find more information about any of the bills referenced above.